Terminally ill receive letter about benefits

22nd September 2011

Letters have been sent to thousands of terminally-ill people warning them their benefits could be cut in April even though Parliament has yet to approve the changes.

Under proposals being scrutinised in the Lords, Contributory Employment Support Allowance (CESA) will be time-limited to 12 months from next April and the changes will be retrospective. Those on CESA for a year or more will have their benefit cut immediately. The Liberal Democrat conference in Birmingham passed a motion calling on their MPs to oppose the “arbitrary” time limit, contained in the Welfare Bill.